Fukushima residents rap Tokyo Olympics bid chief over nuclear crisis

FUKUSHIMA (Kyodo) — Residents in Fukushima Prefecture have reacted angrily against remarks made by Tokyo’s Olympic bid chief in the city’s final pitch to host the 2020 Games, which they say made light of the local plight.

Tsunekazu Takeda, who is also president of the Japanese Olympic Committee, told a press conference Wednesday in Buenos Aires that Tokyo is safe as the Japanese capital is far away from the crisis-ridden Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.

“Tokyo is very safe. The water, the seafood, and also the radiation are absolutely safe” as Tokyo is 250 kilometers away from Fukushima, Takeda said.

A 37-year-old housewife, who evacuated to Tokyo from Fukushima after the nuclear crisis began in March 2011, said Takeda “emphasized that Tokyo is safe, but that only serves to show that the situation in Fukushima is serious.”

Referring to a massive leak of radiation-contamination water at the crippled plant, she called for the government to move quickly to fix the problem rather than focusing on Tokyo’s Olympic bid.

Kyodo News, September 7, 2013
http://mainichi.jp/english/english/newsselect/news/20130907p2g00m0dm005000c.html

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Inose slams Fukushima coverage — On eve of Olympic host selection, Tokyo governor wants media to look past nuclear crisis

BUENOS AIRES — Tokyo Gov. Naoki Inose, at his final news conference before the selection of the host city for the 2020 Summer Olympics, blasted media coverage of the Fukushima nuclear crisis and said people should not believe scare stories.

He also stressed that the central government has stepped in to address the toxic water problem at the stricken Fukushima No. 1 power plant as the International Olympic Committee gets ready to decide between Tokyo, Istanbul and Madrid.

The crisis surrounding the plant has dogged every news conference in the last week by the Tokyo bid officials. Pointed questions were raised about the large quantities of radioactive groundwater seeping from Fukushima No. 1 into the Pacific.

Inose said he believes every necessary measure is now being taken.

“What happened in Fukushima in terms of the tsunami and the earthquake was an event that only takes place once every 1,000 years, the last time being in 869,Åh” he said in answer to a question on if it was fair that IOC members had for the first time begun voicing reluctance last week to vote for Tokyo due to the nuclear crisis.

“With the leaking contaminated water what can we do? Prime Minister (Shinzo) Abe said on Aug. 8 that Tepco should no longer be in charge and measures were put in place. On Sept. 3, \47 billion was set aside to tackle this project,Åh the governor said, referring to plant operator Tokyo Electric Power Co.”The entire government is taking responsibility. Furthermore, this contaminated water covers an area of 0.3 sq. km and we will be able to see the direction it takes.

“So much rumor has been conveyed by the media. When it was discussed by the Cabinet on Sept. 3 on what to do, the paper was published in both Japanese and English,” he continued. “First of all you should read the statement and then ask questions. Fact and basis should be reported. We will provide all the data and that will be fair.Å”

AFP-Jiji Press, September 7, 2013
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2013/09/07/national/inose-slams-fukushima-coverage/#.Ui5T_X9jbRY

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 Criminal complaint filed against TEPCO, 32 executives

FUKUSHIMA, Japan (Kyodo) — Three people on Tuesday filed a criminal complaint against Tokyo Electric Power Co. and 32 of its current and former executives with the Fukushima prefectural police, arguing they neglected to take measures to prevent toxic water at the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant from flowing into the ocean.

Among the three is Ruiko Muto, who heads a group of some 14,000 people who have filed a criminal complaint with prosecutors against the utility, its executives and government officials over their responsibility for causing the Fukushima nuclear disaster.

In the latest complaint, the three said the failure of Tokyo Electric and its executives, including current president Naomi Hirose, to take appropriate measures has caused the daily outflow of 300-400 tons of radioactive-contaminated water into the Pacific.

Prosecutors are now considering how to deal with the initial complaint.

Kyodo News, September 3, 2013
http://mainichi.jp/english/english/newsselect/news/20130903p2g00m0dm054000c.html

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 More Fukushima evacuees to sue Tepco, government

OSAKA — More people forced to evacuate by the nuclear disaster at the Fukushima No. 1 power station are preparing to sue Tokyo Electric Power Co. and the state, their lawyers announced Monday.

A group of 74 people representing 27 families will file the lawsuit with the Osaka District Court on Sept. 17, seeking around \15 million per head for psychological and other damage suffered from the event in Fukushima Prefecture, the lawyers said.

Similar suits have been filed in Hokkaido, Tokyo, and Yamagata, Chiba, Niigata and Aichi prefectures.

The 27 people are from 12 municipalities in Fukushima, including the town of Namie and the city of Minamisoma, who are now living in the Kinki region prefectures of Mie, Shiga, Kyoto, Osaka and Nara. More evacuees may join the suit, the lawyers said.

The group will argue that Tepco should have taken stronger measures to protect the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant from earthquakes and tsunami after the governmentÅfs Headquarters for Earthquake Research Promotion warned in 2002 that there was 20 percent chance of a magnitude 8 or so quake occurring in the Japan Trench in the Pacific Ocean within 30 years, the lawyers said.

Jiji Press, August 26, 2013
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2013/08/26/national/more-fukushima-evacuees-to-sue-tepco-government/#.UiPQkH9jbRY

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 High school students signatures for nuke abolition reaches 1 million

NAGASAKI — A students’ group in Nagasaki Prefecture said Sunday it has collected more than 1 million signatures from senior high school students calling for the abolition of nuclear weapons since it started gathering them in 2001.

At a meeting in Nagasaki the same day of about 50 former and current members of the group, the executive committee said the total number of signatures has reached 1.04 million.

Erica Fujimoto, 29, who was the founding member of the group, said, “I’m amazed to see the activity of the group, whose initial target was 10,000, expand to this extent.”

The group also said the 195,000 signatures it has collected this year will be submitted to the United Nations Office at Geneva by a group of 20 high school students from 12 prefectures across Japan. The students were selected by a citizens’ group in Nagasaki.

Kyodo News, August 12, 2013
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2013/08/12/national/high-school-students-signatures-for-nuke-abolition-reaches-1-million/#.UgyoRtgSrlc

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